Hell has become much scarier than it used to be. There's a pretty cool new species that can't use spellbooks but gains spells at level ups and trains all spellcasting form a single skill. Food is gone. Many quality of life simplifications. Most spells have become a more interesting than the previous iteration of "fire blast" vs. "ice blast".
I'd say on a whole it's become a much nicer experience.
Many people seem to rage against the removal of content that felt flavorful or gimmicky or part of the tedious grind that they grew up with. I think the game has gotten much better personally. They also removed enemies that could break your consumables and inventory encumbrance limits (items, not armor encumbrance). I can't really imagine playing with them again.
Food in particular always felt stressful and time consuming even though I never made it to the end without an enormous stash of permafood.
I'd say on a whole it's become a much nicer experience.